The girl that no one knew
by Kaiizenn
Summary: "Armin," she said suddenly, "Do you think that I'm a coward?" One trilogy before and one after the raid on the Stohess district. A different set of moments between Armin and Annie. Written from Armin's perspective for the most part, focusing on Annie.
1. Dilemma

It had felt a lot worse than he had been expecting. The moment he had heard Commander Erwin's opening remarks, he was immediately contemplating the reasons for such bold words. However - although he did not admit it, even to himself - Armin had felt a touch of hope stemming from the positive information the Commander had provided, it made him think that others would be persuaded to join. He supposed it was just his naïvety and inexperience that had led him to indulge in such foolish thoughts. In Armin's mind, the mass of trainees leaving had seemed like a flood. It had been a struggle not to just turn around, to see the expressions on the leaving faces. It would have been the path to utter despair. Despite the thoughts that had raced through his head, Armin hadn't wavered in his determination. He hadn't lost sight of what was at stake.

Armin had stayed behind after the ceremony, near the stage where the induction had taken place. Mikasa had stayed with him for a little while, but she had now left along with the other. It was a wonderful night, one of the first that Armin had the pleasure of seeing ever since his training as a soldier had begun. It was a full moon and the night was peaceful and still. The brackets on the stage burnt less fiercely now, casting a soft incandescence within small radius of the stage. The events of the day had caught up with him now, as he was finally able to take his mind off the Survey Corps, he had believe in the Commander's plan no matter how daunting a task it seemed.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the nearby sound of footfall, breaking the silence. Armin had either seen or heard everyone go back inside, nobody should have been outside so late. Much to Armin's dismay, he saw Annie appear from behind the courtyard wall. Before he could move out of her line of sight, she turned to look straight at him. He felt compelled to move towards her, even though he felt flustered and guilty about what he had seen and heard earlier that same day. "Hey Annie, you're out late", he remarked with a small smile.

"I could say the same to you"

"I just felt like being alone for a while..." he said quietly, avoiding her gaze.

"So did I," she replied, just as quietly. There was a few seconds pause between the two of them in which Armin took the time to study her face. Although she still had her signature, unsmiling look, she looked even gloomier than usual. Her eyes were distant and vague, while the corners of her mouth were twisted into a grimace. Maybe it was something to do with the enrollment ceremony. Maybe it was because of what Armin thought might be true. Unexpectedly, Annie was the first one to speak again, "I presume you enrolled into the Survey Corps then?" It sounded more like a statement than a question, like she already knew Armin's answer.

"Yes," he replied shortly "So you've been drafted into the Military Police?" Again the answer was a given for the pair of them. Another moment of silence. He took that to mean yes.

"Armin," she said suddenly, "Do you think that I'm a coward?" Armin was taken aback by Annie's sudden forwardness, in contrast to her usual quiet self.

"No... no, I don't," he started tentatively. "Anybody who values their life is intelligent to do so, the life of a soldier is dangerous. I don't blame you for choosing the Military Police."

"Oh. Well that's good, because I am only doing this to save my own skin. I'm not a pawn who'll be ordered to their death." she replied indifferently.

"Annie, if you think that way then why did you choose to become a soldier at all?" he asked curiously, "Why put that unnecessary risk on your life at all? You saw what happened in Trost."

"Isn't it obvious?" She said bluntly, "I want a better quality of life."

"Your sounding like Jean used to." Annie remained silent and stoic in her expression. The light from the brackets had all but vanished by then, only the moon provided the light which silhouetted the two figures in the standing opposite each other in the night.

"Why do _you _fight Armin? You said you would die if you were ordered to do so. Did you mean it?". Armin hesitated before speaking again.

"I only know what's at stake. If we don't fight we'll never break free of these walls. The titans will eventually get through again, they can't last forever. Take what happened in Trost, for example. If it wasn't for Eren we would all be dead now."

"Wasn't it you who theorized that plan?" She said, the faintest whisper of a smile playing at her lips.

"Yes, but without Eren's titan power we never would have been able to plug the hole in the wall anyway," he replied thoughtfully. He suddenly became aware of what he was doing and remembered why he had been so wary of Annie after their gear check-up. Annie must have noticed a change in his expression.

"Something bothering you?" she asked, sounding almost sympathetic in tone. Strange, this was not the Annie Leonhardt that Armin knew.

"No, I was just thinking about the future", Armin lied shakily. Before he could say anything else to end any continued conversation Annie spoke up for the third time that night.

"Armin, I wanted to ask you a favour..." Annie trailed off, seemingly unsure of what to say. "Were you in same squad as Mina?" If Armin was surprised before, it was nothing compared to the shock he felt now. He had never seen Annie display any sort of worry for anybody before. At least, outside of himself that was. After his initial shock, the gravity of what his answer had to be crushed him. "Yes, Mina was in my squad, but-" Annie cut him off before he could finish. "How did she die?" Annie's voice was now monotone and hollow, her face stony and facing downwards. Armin picked his next words very carefully. "She died trying to protect..." he faltered, with a deep sigh he finished, "trying to protect Eren and me." He finished, pausing to let Annie register what he had said.

"Thank you for telling me, Armin" Annie's face was unreadable. Anything that could have given Armin a clue to what she was feeling was drawn in. Armin made to leave, he felt bad enough as it was without Annie about to break down in front of him. He was stopped by Annie grabbing his arm gently, but firmly, as if she didn't want him to leave. "Armin, promise me one thing?" she said softly. She appeared to be calm and steady once again. "Of course, anything for you, " Armin said warmly.  
"Just.. stay safe. Okay?"  
Armin shook his head slightly in disbelief. Throughout their training, she had always been the silent one, the apathetic one. Tonight, she had shown herself to be just as human as the rest of them. "I will, Annie. Don't worry, I know we'll meet again someday."  
"Someday..." She whispered longingly. "Until then. Goodbye, Armin Arlert."  
"Till we meet again, Annie Leonhardt".

Armin watched her as she walked back to her barracks, still stunned by her change of character. As she disappeared from his sight, he turned to head back. His head had been cleared of his all his earlier worries.

_For the girl who had joined the military police, however, the turmoil her mind was trapped in seemed never-ending._


	2. Caring

_**AUTHOR NOTES: This chapter and the next are going to be set in the same timeline as the first but before it in terms of chronological order. This chapter is set off-screen during the second OVA. The chapters will all follow the same style. Armin's third person POV, but focusing on Annie.**_

* * *

Despite his physical state, Armin felt very much at peace. It had been embarrassing to have ended up in a cast without the involvement of an aggressor, or even a potentially dangerous stimulus within the vicinity. His injury also caused a great deal of inconvenience to his two fellow trainees. On second thoughts, Armin decided it was actually only one of his teammates who was disrupted by being down a person. It was a beautiful afternoon outside, a warm rays of bright light filtered into Armin's room, spreading across the bed upon which he lay, tickling his hair and face. The air tasted crisp and fresh and the cheerful sounds of children playing in the streets below drifted up to Armin's ears. The sounds made him remember Shiganshina. Before it had been taken over by hell.

After Jean and Annie had escorted Armin to the medical wing and made sure that he was al-right, they had both left. Jean had sounded adamant in his plan to steal some meat from the officers' pantry and had left with haste after Annie and Armin had turned down his request for help. Annie had stayed with him a while longer but had eventually left as well, although Armin had no idea where to. Annie was certainly an enigma to Armin. She was the quietest of all the trainees in the 104th, and she rarely made an effort to interact or co-operate in team exercises. There would always be a sullen look on her face and she acted as if everything around her was almost distasteful. Upon their meeting two years ago, he had somehow managed to strike up a friendship her. It was still one of his biggest accomplishments to date. At least, in his opinion. While Eren was perfectly happy for Armin to be socializing more with other trainees, Mikasa was not. She had been instantly suspicious of Annie from day one, and it was clear that she would rather have Armin not talk to Annie. Armin knew that she thought ill of Annie, even though she had never actually voiced her opinion. It was a two-way street, however, as Annie seemed to be just as distrusting of Mikasa as she was of her. In spite of all of this it seemed that the person he talked to most, outside of Eren and Mikasa was Annie. Even though Annie never talked much in their conversations, he was still pleasantly surprised to see that every time he attempted to speak with her, she would listen and wait. This was the biggest mystery to Armin. How she always seemed so distant from others, never talked to anybody and practically went out of her way to avoid people yet she would always be there to listen to him.

Armin had been slowly drifting into the soft embrace of sleep when he heard the door to his room creak open slowly and the sound of footsteps across the wooden floor. His eyes flickered open as he adjusted to the brightness of the room and saw a small, slim figure framed in the sunshine. The figure seemed to be holding a tray with a bowl containing a steaming broth with a thick roll of bread on the side. As Armin saw who the person was, he was amazed to see the short blonde hair tied up in a bun and the familiar thin lips pressed into a flat smile. It was Annie.

"I brought you some food, " she said, snapping him from his reverie.

"Oh, um, thanks, Annie" mumbled Armin, gratefully. She watched him carefully as he propped himself up onto his elbows.

"Here, this will help," she said as she moved his pillows into an upright position against the headboard. Armin smiled warmly at her as she continued to watch him with a blank expression. Although he talked to Annie quite a lot, he had never seen her do something to show any compassion towards anyone, not to say that she acted indifferently towards him, only that he couldn't have imagined she would bring him food.

"Don't you have,uh... anything to take care of?" Armin asked uncertainly before he quickly realised the ineptitude of his words. "Sorry. What I meant to say was you didn't have to do this for me," he said hastily. Annie brushed her falling hair back across her face.

"We are on a team, Armin. Besides, I can't cook." She said as if it was obvious.

"Yeah, right..." Armin said, turning his head back down to the tray before him. He broke off a piece of his bread, and then paused, thinking hard. Noticing his stillness, Annie asked wearily,

"You hit your leg pretty hard back there, are you feeling any better?" Armin gave an awkward grin and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He still wasn't over how easily he had fallen, both metaphorically and physically.

"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better, thanks. Shouldn't you be helping Jean now anyway? Come to think of it, why aren't you helping him? You both want to get into the military police, right?"

"We may both have the same goal, but that doesn't mean we have to take the same road to get there." Armin was impressed by her unusually high moral ground. Most people wouldn't think twice about a thing such as theft of such an expensive and rare food, especially if it helped them to eventually live within the luxury and safety of Wall Sina.

"That's really honourable of you, Annie," he said appreciatively. "So if you don't believe in getting into the Military Police this way, then why bother with the competition at all?" Armin inquired quizzically. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Who knows," she said, turning her head towards the window. "Maybe because we were already in a team together?" she said slowly, turning back to face him. "You should eat, I brought it up hot for a reason," she reminded him, nodding her head towards the bowl.

"Oh, of course," he said, dipping the bread into the bowl of broth. For the next few minutes they both sat in silence as Armin ate, methodically finishing both the bread and the broth. Throughout the course of these few minutes, Armin noticed how Annie watched him, it reminded him of the way a certain scarf-wearing girl would always look at her brother. Just as Armin had finished eating, a thought occurred to him and he seemed to un-pause from where their conversation had left off.

"Even if you wanted to see this whole thing through, you said yourself you can't cook. Doesn't that mean you wouldn't have been able to help in the first place?" he asked meaningfully.

"I guess you're right, then maybe I just wanted something to do so I wouldn't get bored," she said with a note of apprehension in her voice.

"Now you're just clutching at straws, Annie. There was plenty of work to do for the other trainees while we were out-of-town inside the forest." Armin was fixed upon finding out Annie's true intentions for going with Jean and him.

"Tch... You're more persistent than I first thought." She said, sounding annoyed but with a hint of a smile.

"Would you find it hard to believe me If I said I just wanted someone to talk to, someone who actually thinks of me as a friend?" The words came flowing steadily from her mouth and she had an accusing tone to her voice. Annie was the one who had put pressure on Armin instead.

"That I just wanted to see if my friend was feeling better and bring him some food. Is that really so unbelievable for you?" She asked in disbelief. Her normally pale cheeks were now a light shade of pink. To Armin's wonder, he felt relieved with her answer. It had proven to him what he had always believed about Annie. That she really was his friend, that she really did care about him.

"No... Of course not, Annie. I've just never seen you act like this before," he said teasingly. Annie was quick to retort.

"Don't push your luck, Armin. Don't expect me to act sweet and caring from now on. That isn't me."

"Well, for what it's worth, I really like this Annie," he said thoughtfully. The light was dimming now and the shadows were fading into the approaching darkness.

"Like I said, don't expect this to happen all the time," she replied with a rare smile. "Come on, you're going to have to be the one to cook with Jean" With the help of Annie and the crutches left on his bedside, Armin was able to get into a steady position on his feet. The light had all but faded now and the shadows were melting into the quickly approaching darkness. As they left the room to go down to the kitchens, Armin realised something. Although he still knew very little about Annie and why she acted how she did, he was content in the knowledge that he mattered to her.

_And the girl who was walking a few steps ahead of him smiled internally at the very same thought._


	3. Feelings

_**AUTHOR NOTES: Sooooooo sorry I haven't updated in about a month and a half. I've had a lot of work from school and I was off the grid completely for about two weeks at one point. I've also been quite unsure how to round this story out. **_  
_**So for waiting, I've made it about double the length of the other chapters. A few things to keep in mind for this is that Armin hasn't found his footing as a badass yet and is still pretty unsure of himself. I think I've made Annie a bit more responsive because of it, but you could easily argue that she's still well in character.**_  
_**I appreciate reviews and/or suggestions. Perhaps something to add to this story as a spin-off? Anyway, without further ado, the story! **_

* * *

Armin's head ached and he felt sick in his stomach. Everyone had heard the bell for dinner and gone off towards the mess huts, leaving him standing in the pleasant warmth of the afternoon sun. The whole experience earlier in the morning had left him quite shell-shocked and out-of-place. The instructor had walked right past Eren and Mikasa, and a few others he didn't recognise by face. It spoke volumes to a person of Armin's perception. His inadequacy to join the military, Eren and Mikasa's obvious readiness to face the task ahead of them. Eren to kill the titans, no doubt to avenge the death of his mother and Mikasa to protect Eren at all costs. It wasn't like that with Armin. He didn't have any clear purpose in his mind other than staying with the only two people in the world left to care about him.

When Shiganshina was being overrun by the titans, Armin had been one of the first to make it to one of the ferries so he hadn't seen what the titans were capable of, but he didn't need to. The crying, praying people around him had illustrated the stark reality, and the point had only been driven home further when his Grandfather left for the attempted 'retaking' of Wall Maria. Armin would have been content to live out the remainder of his life working in the fields, in the market, anything to survive. However, it would have meant being alone and he couldn't bear the thought of being left alone. Not again. His feelings didn't cloud his understanding of the situation. He was perfectly aware of the facts, having seen them first-hand. The titans were an unbeatable foe, they had decimated humanity and driven them to the brink of extinction in a few years. Even if they did they master the 3D maneuver gear, if they did become fully fledged soldiers, what could they do against such insurmountable odds, such overpowering foes?

* * *

Armin had tried to find Eren once he had collected his measly portion of food, albeit more than he would've gotten outside of the trainee corps, but he was surrounded by a gaggle of people questioning him fervently about the colossal and armoured titans so he hadn't been able to get anywhere near him. For the past couple of minutes Armin had been looking for a place to sit and eat, all the seats he could see had already been taken. As he made his way down the rows towards the back of the hut he noticed an empty bench in the far corner. When he got closer he saw that he was mistaken as a short, blonde girl had taken one of the seats on it. She had a fixed, unsmiling face and seemed focused on eating her food quietly. Realising he had run out of options, Armin made his way over to the table, "Is this seat taken?" Armin asked politely, pointing to the seat opposite to the girl.

"No", the girl replied bluntly.

"So, do you mind if I sit here?" he said gesturing with a small nod.

"No", the girl deadpanned once again, not even looking in his direction. She seemed oddly familiar to Armin. He sat down in the seat opposite the girl and began to notice her facial features. She had short, blonde hair, lighter than his, tied in a messy bun and had a large fringe draped over the right side of her face, partially covering her right eye. Speaking of her eyes, they were quite big and they immediately reminded him of Eren's, except that this girl's eyes were a bright blue, once again a shade lighter than his own, and had a sullen look and seemed only half-open. Her nose was quite pronounced and she had a pale complexion. Snapping himself out of his daze, Armin began to quietly eat when it suddenly struck him where he had recognised her from. She was one of the handful of people who hadn't been stomped into the ground by the instructor as he had passed by them. Feeling strangely emboldened by this discovery, Armin said,

"My name's Armin. Armin Arlert", trying to muster up some cheerfulness into his voice. The girl seemed like she hadn't heard what he had said for a few moments, then she said, "Annie Leonhardt" looking at up with him with intriguing eyes.

"That's a nice name", Armin offered.

"Thanks", she replied quickly, turning back to eating her food. Armin recognised immediately that it was pointless trying to get this girl to talk if she didn't want to. However, he head wasn't exactly in it so that didn't stop him from trying.

"I saw that the instructor didn't try to wring you out", he remarked with a small smile. She shrugged indifferently. "So where are you from then? As in, which town?" he asked her curiously, wanting to start a conversation. She gave a small sigh then answered,

"A small village inside of wall maria", she turned to look at him, "why do you want to know?" She said in an accusing tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry... don't take it the wrong way", he muttered. "I was just curious".

"Haven't you ever heard that curiosity killed the cat?" Annie said in a slightly darker tone. Armin remembered something he had read before,

"But satisfaction brought it back". She looked at him with a strange look of respect mixed with fascination for a few seconds before turning back to her food and carrying on eating like nothing had ever happened. To Armin's bewilderment, Annie then spoke to him, "Where are you from then, Armin?"

"Uh, me, um... I'm from Shiganshina" he stuttered, still surprised by Annie's sudden forwardness. Annie looked a way for a moment and then said,

"I'm sorry"

"For what, you didn't do anything", Armin said shakily, remembering the day the titans broke in, the day his life changed forever.

"...No, I didn't", Annie replied dejectedly.  
"So, was your village...," he trailed off, realizing how rude he sounded.  
"Attacked? Yeah..." she seemed hesitant to talk and Armin didn't press her for any details.

For the next few minutes they both ate in silence, slowly chewing through what little food they had each been given. The tables around them were now packed but, strangely enough, nobody approached their table. Armin spotted an extremely tall and slender boy with short brown hair and green eyes shoot him and Annie a few glimpses, but as soon as he saw Armin looking at him he looked away quickly and carried on eating with his back to him.

Once Armin felt a little bolder, he decided to resume conversation he had started with this strange girl. "So, Annie. What brings you to the trainee corps?" he asked, although he already had a hunch.

"To join the Military Police," she said shortly, her voice had returned to her emotionless monotone.

"Oh." Was all Armin could muster up, at a complete loss for words.

"How about you?" Annie asked, appearing to want to make conversation now.

""I... I don't know", Armin said shamefully. "I'd rather be working in the fields in all hones-"

"So why don't you", carefully setting down her mug and fixing him with an ice-cold gaze.

"My... friends joined, so I followed them". Annie gave a small scoff of derision.

"Pathetic." Armin was shocked by her sudden change of tone. "I guess I was mistaken, you really are spineless. Why would you join for your friends? So you wouldn't be lonely? So somebody would look after you? Even the ones here who want to join the military police and live a comfortable life in the inner walls have a drive, a reason for doing this training. You have nothing." Armin let her hurtful words sink in, bowing his head. She was right, he really didn't have anything. What was the point of coming at all?  
Annie was still glaring at him but, softening her gaze, she said, "I can tell you're not an idiot, so maybe you should think this over more carefully. Decide what you want to do."  
With his head still bowed, Armin remembered how hopeless he had felt when Shiganshina fell. He remembered, vividly, the people around him, crying, praying for safety, for their lives to be spared. It wasn't only his life that had been destroyed that day. There were others just like him, younger than him, older than him. His grandfather had gone to try to reclaim Wall Maria and died. Why? Why do something so foolish? Armin had looked up to his grandfather as the wisest man he knew, he had always avoided unnecessary conflict and Armin had always tried to emulate him in that regard. His thoughts turned to Eren. He had become so angry after the death of his mother, he had sworn to eviscerate the titans. So much anger was inside of him now, but behind all of that anger was a purpose, a promise to keep.  
With a dawning realization in his heart, he spoke again,

"You're right," He said with acceptance in his voice

"Hmmm?" Annie enquired, a faint glimmer in her eyes.  
"I didn't have a purpose, I didn't have a real goal in joining the trainee corps." He looked up, straight at Annie. "But you're wrong to think that joining for others is stupid." An edge had appeared in his voice, a steely determination. Annie simply stared at him, listening intently to his words.

"If you don't join to go on to live in the inner walls then you join to fight for others. You don't do it fearing for your own life. You have to understand what's at stake. So I have a purpose now, Annie."  
"And what would that be," Annie asked him expectantly.  
"To put my life on the line for the future of humanity." He finished speaking and sat dazed for a few moments, almost surprised by how forward and determined he had sounded. Annie watched for a few seconds more and then returned to eating the little food that she had remaining. After several seconds, Armin slowly followed suit with his own food. The tables around them were emptying now but it was still loud enough in the hut so that his short speech hadn't attracted any attention. Armin saw the tall boy from before shoot their table a quick glance before he got up and left.

The minutes passed and they sat on in silence, each of their gazes' averted from the others. Armin eventually came round to finishing his food, having taken him a surprisingly long time. Once he looked up he was confused to find Annie, her food finished, sitting in the same place, patiently waiting for him.  
"Uhh... hehe, Annie, what are you still doing here?"  
"Waiting for you to finish," Armin was constantly amazed at how quickly she could go back to sounding completely flat and emotionless.  
"But, ummm, why?" Annie gave him a strange look

"I guess it's courtesy isn't it?"  
"Yeah, I guess..." Armin said dejectedly. It was no more than he should have expected, he thought to himself.  
"And," Annie added quickly, "It was... enjoyable. Talking to you I mean, Armin." Armin gave her a warm smile, "You too, Annie. You act in a very... interesting way."  
Annie gave him a look of weariness mixed with irritation.  
"Care to elaborate?," she said, arching her right eyebrow ever so slightly.

"Oh, no! I didn't mean it to be ru-," Armin stopped midway through his apology to realize that Annie was _smiling. _He simply stared at her, jaw slightly ajar. Seeing his reaction, she quickly reverted to her monotone expression.  
"What, I'm not allowed to smile now?" she asked rhetorically.  
"I just haven't seen you smile at all until now,"Armin explained.  
"Don't judge a book by it's cover," she remarked with an air of sadness. Just as Armin was about to inquire about her mood, almost as if on cue, the bell for the end of dinner rang. Annie stood up hastily and began to make her way back down to the end of the hut. Armin quickly followed behind her, not wanting to be left behind. Just as she was about to leave and slip into the mass of trainees now exiting the hut, Armin gently grabbed her by the arm.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow in training then?" Armin asked hopefully. His mood had significantly improved from the beginning of the evening and his face showed it. Annie looked back at him, barely maintaining a blank expression with her body still facing the doorway.

"Yeah," she said quietly. Armin grinned happily.  
"Bye then, Annie. See you tomorrow!" Armin took off leaving Annie hesitant to move. With a small sigh she turned and left through the door.

* * *

"Great job, Leonhardt." she muttered to herself as she walked back to her dorm. Despite these thoughts, she couldn't help feeling a connection with the boy. Why had he approached her? It had been her aim to make herself as unsociable as possible. That was the plan. Nobody else had come to sit with her, maybe that was it. No. It was his attitude, the way he talked, how he had reacted to her words. He was different to everybody else she had observed that day. She shook her head in disbelief. This could only spell trouble for the mission.  
But that didn't mean she had any intention of not seeing him tomorrow. It simply meant she had to be more careful.


	4. Author Notes

_**ANNOUNCEMENT:**_

_**So it's past 1:00AM right now and I've given this a lot of thought. I've decided I don't want this story to end. Hooray!**_

_**There will be 2-3 new chapters for this story, but with a few small changes to the style.**_  
_**Due to fact that I've tried to make the story as canon as possible and accurate to its characters, the following chapters will naturally be a bit more Annie centric and will take me more time because Annie's character is still largely unexplored. I'm also going to have to a do a bit of research in the manga and the anime to get a better idea of her psychology.**_

_**The only hints I'll give to what the next 2-3 chapters could be about is that two of the chapter ideas have been done before. A lot. Hence the need for research and more time to put some originality in it.**_  
_**The other story will be something much more original, but having little to no dialogue.**_

_**Just bear with me on these because I really want to do these characters and the story ideas I have justice.**_  
_**Thanks for following and favouriting, it's my first crack at writing SNK stuff so I appreciate it!**_


	5. Reflection

_**Author Notes:**__** Let's look at some reviews!**_

_**tentsubasa:**** very glad that you found it both sweet and enjoyable. You'd think that somewhere along the line Armin gained the conviction to join the Survey Corps and Annie is a very real answer to that question. I think she'd be annoyed at herself at that point in time especially because her mission is fresh in her mind. **_

_**jstardragon:**__** ahhhhh! You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you and you are very welcome! Don't worry, I'm not ending this story just yet!**_

_**Amisa the writer:**__** You're very welcome, glad you find it cute! I personally love the characters of Armin and Annie very dearly and Armin is quite easy for me to understand. I've seen the characteristics he has a lot in my daily life. Annie requires a bit of research each time I write and I try to understand exactly what mindset, and what mask, she has for each situation. It's dependant on events and time mostly. **_

_**Now, I'm going to try to write the next couple of chapters quicker so less waiting time. This fic has no dialogue, as I warned it might.  
I'd also like to say one thing (come to expect this perhaps) about this fic. I used the episode, 'The Defeated', for reference and notice the faces of the 104th trainee corps when the camera goes over each of them. Eren and Mikasa are shown more than once and Connie isn't shown at all but you know which character I'm talking about, right?**_

Without further ado, the story!

* * *

She ran as fast as her body would allow her, running through the dark, dense foliage of the trees all around her. The sun cut through cracks in the canopy above her, creating sharp, contrasting shadows across her figure. All she could hear was the rhythmic beat of her feet coming down, over and over, on the forest floor.

It had been a several minutes since she had heard the clack of horse hooves or the hiss of gas releasing from the three-dimensional maneuver gear. They must have turned back. It seemed their objective hadn't been to kill her. The short survey corps soldier had been an unforeseen threat. The speed at which he had attacked her, the sheer ferocity was incredible. He was even able to see through her apparent helplessness and had saved Ackerman when she had gone for her neck. In the end there was nothing she could have done. Despite her high capacity for regeneration, even now she was still healing from that last flurry of attacks. This mission had been of the utmost importance. There had been no plans to even reveal her existence to humanity, at least in this form, up until a month ago.

She, Reiner and Bertholdt had met up secretly the morning after they had each chosen their factions of the military and decided it was too dangerous to let a wild card like Eren stay loose. The blocking of the hole in wall rose was only the beginning of what he might be capable of. There was no clue as to how or where he had gained the ability to shift and, from what she had observed, he had no idea he could shift until he had created that half-titan to protect himself, Armin and Ackerman. They had agreed that Annie, not being part of the expedition, would undertake the mission of capturing Eren. Her ability to summon titans to her location would make quick work of the survey corps. His titan form was immensely strong but he let his emotions control his actions. If not for that, and her superior combat skills, she might not have been able to get away. He had also frozen up just before she decapitated him, it had been surprising considering his animalistic rage just moments before. She wondered if he had realised something in that moment. Still, if Ackerman hadn't turned up with that other soldier, she would have still been able to capture Eren.  
No, even before that, if only she had been faster in capturing Eren, maybe summoning the titans to her position a little earlier. Reiner's help had been too little too late. The Survey Corps had been wise to remain suspicious of everyone around them. It seemed that very few among their ranks had actually known the true purpose of this mission.

She had been decimating their forces only hours ago, she had managed to take out the elite squad protecting Eren and then even Eren himself. The move to try and capture Eren had been a risky one to begin but now that her existence had been revealed to humanity there could only be an increase in security, making it harder for Reiner and Bertholdt to procure information from inside the survey corps. They could even have a list of potential suspects as to her real identity. Still...

The wind swept through the tree tops, whistling in her ears. She would make it out of the forest soon enough. She thought back to her run-in with Reiner, Jean and Armin. That had certainly slowed her down. Now that she thought about it, how did Reiner know where Eren was but the other soldiers hadn't even known about the plan? Annie felt a great sense of unease pushing into into her mind. Worried, she ran her mind through the possible explanations. It all came flooding into her mind in one brief moment.

Armin.

Armin had used those words, 'the suicidal bastard', like he knew who she had been after. She had frozen right after it as well. Even if it had been a guess, it was a good one. Not that she would expect anything less from him. She mentally chided herself, why was she appreciating a move by the enemy? Freezing had been all the proof someone like Armin would need to deduce that she was a fellow trainee from the 104th. The fact she had also spared his life must have conveyed some sort of meaning to him as well...

She reached the end of the forest, she lowered her head as the sun hit her eyes. She could only hope that Armin wouldn't be able to guess her identity as the female titan. The 104th trainees still had many other people that could be suspect. She couldn't afford to get captured, not at this stage. Also, she couldn't bear to face Armin again. As much as she wanted to deny it she had grown close to him, and she didn't want to hurt him. Her father had once told her the whole world could be her enemy and the way people treated her that could have been true her whole life. Not Armin, however. He had seemed to understand her in a way that she didn't even understand herself.

No, not again. Not with him knowing who she really was. What she really was.

From the beginning she had known it would be dangerous to become friends with him, he was too perceptive, too smart. For some reason, however, she had ignored the logical decision and had acted on impulsive emotions. A result of keeping her emotions locked up for so long, perhaps. He had been so different to the others, approaching her when no one else had. He had always talked to her, even when she hadn't said a word in response he could go on and on without annoying her. Now it seemed that her choice could backfire on her in the worst possible way.

She could only hope that her secret remained undiscovered.

* * *

Armin was near the rear of the formation as they rode back to wall rose. The mission had been a failure, it seemed. He hadn't seen or heard much but he had deduced enough to know that the true purpose of this mission had been kept hidden from them and it had to do with luring out the titans hiding within the wall as humans.

He had briefly caught a glimpse of Eren in one of the supply carts further ahead in the group, Mikasa had been with him. Eren had looked unconscious, or sleeping - he wasn't sure. He hadn't seemed injured, but Mikasa had looked worried. He was sure Eren's condition had something to do with the titan that he, Jean and Reiner had encountered. The titan had been intelligent, capable of calculated actions, just like Eren. That must mean the titan had been human, a titan-shifter so to speak.

He had explained his theory to Jean back at the outskirts of the forest but even he couldn't be 100% certain of it. One thing he did know was that the titan had responded to his shouting at Jean to 'avenge the suicidal bastard'. She had frozen up and that had proved two things to him right there and then. One was that the titan wanted to find Eren and that she wanted, or needed, him alive. The second was that only someone within the 104th trainee corps would understand that nickname he had used. Both pieces of information had helped him realise the hidden purpose of the mission but the big question still remained. They would have to someone who knew that the titan shifter was Eren, that had presumably seen him shift. It was Armin's belief that Eren's discovery was the reason the armoured titan had never made an appearance when wall rose's gate had been destroyed. That brought the number down to only 5 people. Jean and Reiner had been with him when the female titan had attacked. 3 people. Mikasa would never want to hurt Eren. 2 people. Bertholdt was not female, nor did he have blonde hair or blue eyes.

Wall rose was now in sight and the distance was quickly diminishing. His back was to the blazing afternoon sun, signalling the approaching eve. A sudden gust of wind swept his hood off and blew his hair around his face. With apprehension and fear in his heart, Armin turned his mind to the only logical identity of the female titan.

Annie.

Annie, a member of the 104th trainee corps. The girl who had trained with them for the last 3 years, who had enrolled in the military police. The girl who had seemed so apathetic and distant to everybody around her. Annie, the girl who was his friend. There was no way she could really be the female titan, she had to be inside wall sina at this moment in time. She had enrolled in the military police, she had to be with them. He had trusted her, she had been there when he needed someone to talk to. He reminded himself that she had also been in position of Marco's gear.

Armin had never felt so conflicted before, so torn between his head and his heart. He wanted to believe that is wasn't her but the facts all pointed towards her as the culprit. How could she be though? She had been friends with Eren as well. They had trained together, he had learnt from her. Was it all a lie in the end, was it all fake? The feelings, the friendships. The way she had acted all the time? Even her apparent reason for enrolling in the 104th trainee corps?

They had always talked together, well he had talked. She had always listened, however, even when it seemed that he was talking a bit too much she would stay with him and listen. When she did talk it was always meaningful, if a little blunt, but he liked that about her. She had seemed secretive at first but he had discovered she wasn't as one-sided as she appeared to be. She even opened up to him, at times; bringing him food when he was injured, smiling at his attempts at humour and getting close to tears at one point.

They were close to the gate now, it couldn't have been more than 300 metres away. He made up his mind. Unless he was asked, or unless he received concrete evidence of Annie being the female titan he wouldn't say anything. There had to be a flaw in his logic, a reason for him to be wrong. No one would believe him anyway, he had no proof. He didn't really have anything to go on, did he?

He could only hope that he was wrong.


	6. Resolve

_**Author notes:**__** I'm TERRIBLE**_

_**First and foremost I'm so so sorry for not updating for more than 11 months now. A lot of stuff did stop me from writing but at the same time I just didn't feel like writing anything. Everything that I tried came out terribly to me and so I managed to go a whole year with nothing. If you want the excuses it goes something like: exams, physical and mental issues, moving house, exams.**_

_**The good news is that I'll be trying to upload more in the run up to August because I won't have any internet for the first two weeks of August. I'll be writing but I can't upload in that time. Please check out the new stories coming up on my profile soon!**_

_**Without further ado, the story! **_

* * *

His footsteps echoed off the walls in the dark, underground passageway. The lit brackets spaced at intervals along the tunnel cast faint shadows across the rough brick work, worn by time. The silence was eerie and despite the torches it was cold and damp. The short, blond-haired boy hoped to reach his destination soon. The interrogation by the military police hadn't been particularly interesting for him. The MP officials treated him like a child, asking him the simplest of questions. Not once was the identity of the female titan mentioned, or other specifics of the plan to capture her for that matter. He wondered how surprised they would have been to discover just how big a part he had played in the events that had taken place earlier that day.  
It was late in the evening once Armin and Jean were finished being questioned, Jean had decided to try and find the rest of the 104th trainees while Armin had gone back to check on Eren. He had found Eren deep in sleep with Mikasa sitting by his side, she had given him a small smile and gestured for him to come in when he had poked his head around the door. They sat together like that for a long while when Armin noticed Mikasa yawning slightly.  
"You should get some rest, you put in a lot of work today", he remarked appreciatively.  
"You too" she said with a faint smile. He smiled back, then looked at Eren.  
"I'm glad that he's okay", he went on with a small frown, "and that he didn't kill her".  
"It would've been better if he had," Mikasa deadpanned.  
"You know we need her for questioning", Armin reasoned.  
"But that's not why you're glad she's alive, is it?" she continued. Looking towards Armin she realised how harsh her words must have sounded. "You've got to let it go, Armin. I know it was fairly obvious that I didn't like her before but look at her now, you were the one who figured it out. She killed dozens of our comrades while on the expedition and caused massive damage to Stohess today. It was your idea that she might have even attracted the titans when Wall Maria was broken down. She could have played a part in what happened that day".  
"I know, I know. I just... I still can't really believe it". Armin hung his head and sighed. He waited for a few moments before getting up and heading for the door. "I'm gonna go outside for a while, get some fresh air. I guess I'll see you two tomorrow".  
"Of course", Mikasa nodded. Just as Armin was about to exit she added, "If you need to talk, Eren and I are here for you. Remember that."  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be alright. He said with a small smile. He left the room and instantly his smile turned into a look of sadness. Breathing a heavy sigh he walked through the corridor, outside where a picturesque view of Stohess could be seen. She hadn't rampaged through this part of the city. Leaning against that railing he had deliberated on what he should do. That had led to him deciding to leave the MP headquarter and head for the underground tunnels beneath Stohess. To the place where she was being kept.

After another minute or so he reached a fork in the long tunnel. Taking the right path, he walked for a little while longer before he saw the light at the end of tunnel. He entered a wide room, completely bare save for two chairs and a table in the middle. At the far end of the room, two survey corps guards stood either side of a thick, padlocked, wooden door. Armin saw that squad leader Hanji Zoe and lance corporal Levi were sitting at the table.  
"Ah, there you are! Armin was it?" asked Hanji.  
"Yes, ma'am", Armin said saluting as he spoke.  
"No need to salute! You're off duty right now anyway, right?" She went on before he could answer her. "It seems your judgment was correct." She said appreciatively. "You've helped us capture an invaluable prisoner. They could be the key to finding out the colossal and armoured titans true identities as well." Armin looked down at his feet.  
"But... the cost of it all...," he paused for a moment then looked sadly at the two people in front of him. "Was it even worth it?" Levi looked up towards him with a stony expression.  
"Whatever we did, we did it to ultimately save humanity. These, 'titan-shifters', are the biggest threat we face in retaking the walls and one of them captured is progress if nothing else." Hanji put a hand on his shoulder.  
"We won't let those deaths be in vain." She said firmly. "It's our responsibility". Armin nodded in understanding but he didn't feel very much better.  
"So what do you need, Armin. Has the military police called for us? The commander?"  
Armin shuffled nervously. He felt unable to form the words in his mouth.  
"I... I..." he paused. "I want to see the prisoner." His two superiors looked at each other for a brief moment.  
"Any particular reason why?" Hanji asked inquisitively.  
"She was part of our training squad. I think she was ... A friend." Armin held his breath, waiting for them to answer. Hanji looked at him curiously but just before she was about to say something the lance corporal spoke.  
"Fine. Be quick." he said shortly. Armin looked at him in surprise while Hanji gave him a quizzical glance. After pausing for a second Hanji turned back to Armin.  
"Well, go on then. You have our permission." Armin breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Thank you, Captain Levi, Squad Leader Hanji. I'll make it short." he said gratefully. Hanji walked over to the door where the two guards were stood. She leaned over to them and muttered something inaudible to Armin. They both nodded in understanding and moved to remove the padlock and the wooden planks which barred the door. They stepped back out of the doorway once they were done, signalling to Armin that he could go in. Doubt welled up inside of Armin as he approached the door which lay in front of him. She had attacked his friends, his comrades and his family. She was responsible for the deaths of countless people, good people, innocent people. He thought about what Mikasa had reminded him about earlier that day. She could have played a part in the fall of Wall Maria as well. He was supposed to feel angry, betrayed, vengeful and bitter. Armin, however, felt none of this as he pushed against the heavy door with both hands. After reflecting on their time together and brooding on all that he had seen in the past month only one question remained. The door opened slowly, hinges creaking from years of neglect. Why?

* * *

Upon entering the room Armin noticed instantly that it was far more decrepit than what he had seen of the underground tunnel system up until now. It was bigger than the room he had entered from and the only illumination in the room was provided by two torches hung on either side of the room by rusty, metal brackets. The door closed slowly and softly behind him, leaving him with nothing but silence and the person in front of him. The crystal looked very beautiful in the dim light. It reminded him of what he'd read of the oceans beyond the walls. The torch light reflected off the surface giving it a yellow glow. He walked towards the crystal, slowly, apprehensive of what he might see inside. Dozens of ropes were wrapped around it, wooden beams holding the crystal in place. He suddenly squinted his eyes as the light refracted off the crystal, momentarily blinding him as he walked forward. Once he regained his sight he had gotten close enough to see her clearly.  
Annie.  
For a few seconds he froze, forgetting about his worries and denial, finally surrendering himself to his emotions. She had been a friend to him. More than anyone else ever had been. Eren and Mikasa had been the only people in the world who cared for him when he joined the trainee corps. The only people he had cared about. Everybody else had taken him at face value. The short, weak boy who couldn't keep up with the rest.  
Annie hadn't. Before anybody else, she had been there and she had given him a hope to carry on, more than to just be with Eren and Mikasa, told him that he could be somebody. From then on whenever he would talk to her she would listen, she would be there and sometimes (if he was lucky) she would respond. They became friends. He would sit with her sometimes after training, appreciating the time they spent together. He saw how quiet she was, how apathetic and neutral, untalkative and even cold. He had wondered how strange it was that he got to even be around her, despite their differences. He remembered the time they had been in a team together with Jean and he had hurt his leg. He had been able to see just how much she valued their friendship and that she enjoyed his company just as much as he did her's. On the night when they had chosen what military factions they would join she had seemed sad and lost, like him. She had shown him that she was every bit as emotional as the rest of them.  
He remembered what he had discovered that day and suddenly he gritted his teeth in anger. He had known from the beginning that Annie had Marco's gear, that she had most likely killed the test subjects. It was his fault that Annie had gone as far as she had.

"I could have stopped it all..." Armin whispered hoarsely to himself. "All those lives gone, wasted... " It paralyzed him with guilt to think about everything that had happened as a consequence of his inability. He stared up at the face sealed within the crystal. He had been expecting a cruel smile, anger, maybe even fear to be etched across Annie's face. The only word that described her, however, was peaceful. As if she was sleeping.  
He balled his fists and scowled at her.  
She had no right to be at peace. She had murdered all those people in cold blood. Not him. She had carried out the actions, it was her fault. They had trusted her. He had trusted her. He thought she had cared.  
"Why, Annie?" Armin said weakly, finally saying his question out loud. He was answered with silence. Armin hung his head, suddenly feeling drained. His face was only inches away from the glimmering surface of the crystal. He looked up and saw a face full of guilt and sorrow reflected back at him. He felt betrayed. He felt furious. Horrified at what she had been capable of. Yet at the same time he felt remorse and sadness for what had become of her. He told himself she deserved it. She had become the enemy as soon as she had shifted in Stohess. No, even before that. She had been the enemy all along, hidden amongst them and playing them all for fools.  
"Why!" Armin demanded, slamming his fist against the crystal, tears welling up in his eyes. He wanted sorely to be angry at her, to let go of his sadness. To choose his head over his heart. Armin tried, but he couldn't do it. He knew that he couldn't bring himself to hate her, despite the atrocities she had committed.  
Her time as a trainee might have been a lie but that didn't change the time they had spent together, or the words they had exchanged. Even as the female titan she had shown him mercy, a virtue that nobody had thought she possessed.  
He had been spared, even when he could have been easily taken care of. If nothing else it showed she still cared. That she wasn't just a titan in a human body. He told himself that she simply had no reason to kill him on the expedition or even in Stohess. He wasn't a threat to her and she knew that just as well as him. He didn't want to believe it. Annie hadn't lied to him when she had said that she cared, she wouldn't have lied to him.  
He slumped further forward, his forehead resting against the ice cold surface. He felt defeated and useless. He couldn't save all those people. He couldn't stop Annie. He couldn't even kill a single titan. Armin sighed deeply, trying to clear his mind.

His thoughts wandered back to the day he and Annie had met. She had scolded him then, for how he had been thinking. How ironic. She was the one who had rekindled his spirit to fight against the titans, to aid humanity. It had inevitably ended with one of them being defeated. "Happy?" he asked aggressively, looking up at her. "What were you thinking?" he continued "That you could bring down the walls without murdering all of your friends?!" he stopped realising that now, more than ever, Annie wasn't going to respond. It didn't matter anyway. She was a prisoner and indefinitely sealed away by her own choice. She'd given everything to prevent her capture, defiant till the bitter end.  
A powerful foe, even though she had eventually been defeated. He thought about everything he had discovered in the last 2 months. About the titans and about the shifters, about himself and his friends. Not only was he smarter but he was stronger as well. He had proved it today. Everything that Eren and Mikasa said had turned out to be true. They had trusted him just like they always had and it had paid off.  
Despite the odds he had survived the fall of Wall Maria. He had survived those harsh 5 years of scrounging for food and training to be a soldier. He had survived the attempt to take Wall Rose. They had fought back and beaten the titans.  
He looked up at her again suddenly realising something. "For what it's worth you were right. We do all have something to fight for don't we?" His voice echoed off the walls as he spoke out calmly. Armin had finally realised the feeling behind Annie's words to him when he had first met her. They both had something to fight for. He'd made his choice and Annie had made her's. Annie had lost he hadn't. Nothing else mattered. "I'm not going to give up you know" he said with a faint grin. He'd learnt a lot in the past 5 years. To stand up for what was right. To fight against impossible odds. To have faith in your comrades and in yourself.  
"I still have to go beyond these walls," he muttered to himself. "And when you get out of that crystal I'll be waiting for your answer" looking up at her face once more. He sighed to himself after a few seconds, shaking his head in embarrassment.  
He sat down in in front of the crystal and stared at her for the next few minutes, thinking back to their time together. The good times they had spent together. As friends.

* * *

Hanji stared at the door. "What's taking him so long?" Levi looked at her irritably but said nothing. "I've got to check on him," she announced suddenly getting up.  
"Don't." Levi replied.  
"Why not, he could be-," she was cut short  
"In danger? Escaping with the prisoner? Levi asked with a slightly raised brow.  
"It just doesn't feel right to let him stay in there that long," visibly frustrated.  
As if on cue the door creaked open once more as Armin exited the room. He approached the two in the middle of the room.  
"Thank you Captain, Squad leader," he said with a small nod to both of them.  
"Um of course, Armin. No problem." She said with a sheepishly. Armin headed towards the tunnel to leave the room but was stopped by Levi.  
"Arlert." He said, looking at Armin now.  
"Yes, Captain?" Armin said turning around to face him. Levi studied him for a brief moment.  
"Keep up the good work" He said shortly, turning away. "Dismissed." Armin nodded and saluted in confirmation, turning back towards the tunnel, quickly disappearing into the gloom. Hanji stood rooted in place for a few moments before staring at Levi quizzically.  
"Did I miss something?" she said, confused.  
"You can be completely clueless sometimes, four-eyes."


End file.
